Shuey knows his position

Mark WogenrichOf The Morning Call

Andy Reid's former right-hand man didn't play a down of high school football. Now look at him.

Bill Shuey has an inflatable mattress in his Philadelphia Eagles office, where he falls asleep analyzing game film. He knows the playbook inside out (basically because he draws it). And now he's even helping to coach running backs at Eagles camp at Lehigh University.

''It's funny how things work out for you from things you don't expect,'' he said.

Shuey, a 1992 Liberty High graduate, was promoted in February to offensive assistant/quality control after two years as assistant to the head coach. He's on his way to becoming an NFL coach in the most roundabout way.

At Liberty, Shuey wrestled (103 pounds as a junior; 130 as a senior) instead of playing football, which he was steered from because of his size. He went to West Virginia University for a year before transferring to Slippery Rock, where he finally indulged his interest in the game.

Having bulked to about 170 pounds in the weight room, Shuey played briefly at Slippery Rock but limits on Division II roster numbers left him without a spot on the team. So Shuey shifted his attention to semi-pro football, playing defensive back for a team in Pittsburgh in 1996.

After that team folded, Shuey, having graduated from Slippery Rock with a degree in sports management, returned to Bethlehem. The following summer he went back to Pittsburgh for an internship at Three Rivers Stadium. At the same time, Shuey played for a newly formed semi-pro team, the Pittsburgh Colts.

He played two seasons in Pittsburgh, the second after completing his master's in education from West Virginia. That was a hectic time: Shuey was taking 12 graduate-school credits, teaching 12 more in the physical education department and tending bar for spending money.

Upon completing his master's in 1998, Shuey took a substitute-teaching position at Pennridge High. The next summer he began playing semi-pro football for the former Lehigh Valley Panthers and (though he didn't know at the time) pursuing a new career with the Eagles.

The team hired Shuey as a marketing intern in 1999, and he returned in 2000 as assistant to the training camp coordinator. Shuey often left Eagles practice for Panthers practice and played on weekends when the Eagles had preseason scrimmages.

''That's when coach Reid got to see my passion for the game,'' Shuey said.

Apparently impressed, Reid called Shuey in early 2001 to offer a job. At the time, Shuey was conducting midterms as a full-time health and phys. ed teacher at Pennridge. With plenty of administrative help, Shuey extricated himself from the contract and joined the Eagles.

The past two years, his primary duty was coordinating training camp at Lehigh, which involved everything from field schedules to food orders. ''To move the whole organization up here,'' he said, ''that's a tough job.''

Still impressed, the Eagles promoted Shuey, 28, to his current position this past winter. As the offensive assistant, he is significantly more involved in football, which has required an overwhelming amount of study.

''He caught everybody's attention with his aptitude for football,'' offensive coordinator Brad Childress said. ''He's an extremely hard worker and a very quick study. Once you tell him something, he gets it.''

As offensive assistant, Shuey retains some administrative duties, like compiling the playbook and turning play diagrams into PowerPoint presentations. But he also analyzes videotape (both Eagles' and opponents') and helps coach running back reps with position coach Ted Williams.

''I understand my role,'' Shuey said. ''I don't know as much football as those guys, and these guys push me and don't allow me to be tentative.

''This is a commitment, and it has challenged me to the brink sometimes. But one of the reasons you keep pressing is that you know there's a thousand people out there who would love to have your job.''

Shuey said he isn't finished climbing the ladder. He aspires to become a position coach, quite a leap for a former high school wrestler.

''You take a little bit from everybody you come across,'' Shuey said. ''And I've been fortunate to come across a lot of good people.''